Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Appearance - 4.75/5Perhaps it's just my particular lighting conditions, but this beer absolutely glows when held up to the light. It has a perfect orange beer color. The carbonation bubbles flow quickly upward, making this beer look alive, almost as if it was beckoning me to come drink it. Again, the carbonation might just be due to my particular bottle (the carbonation almost overflowed the bottle when I opened). Once the initial head settles, there is little to no head, but the carbonation bubbles still flow rapidly upward. Even after sitting for probably 5-10 minutes, the carbonation flowing quickly upward is still evident.

Smell - 3.5/5The initial whiff is a mixture of tasty tart smell and cheap beer smell (which I don't really mind). I didn't seem to really be able to smell much after the initial whiff (perhaps the beer is too cold, or my nose is off today), but what I did smell was essentially the same tart + standard beer smell.

Taste - 4.2/5My first deep sip reveals a tart, juicy ambiguous fruit flavor--maybe some tastes of apple and lemon as well as other fruits. I have had several other Jolly Pumpkin beers, and I love the sour taste they all have. If you have had the Oro de Calabaza or Calabaza Boreal, the sour taste is basically very similar to those beers. I personally love the sour style of JP beer, and I think JP does a great job at making delicious tart beers. I came into the drinking of this beer with an expectation for the classic JP tartness, and I was not disappointed. Perhaps one minor complaint I have which slightly lowers the rating I give is that the high carbonation level somewhat masks the taste of the beer, however I love the carbonation, so the trade-off is of minor consequence.

Mouthfeel - 4.75/5The beer is very alive and I can feel the carbonation bubbling on my tongue the moment it makes contact. As a swish the beer around my mouth, more carbonation is created, giving a bubbly mouthfeel. It's a great experience for the mouth. The beer is light, not heavy, it moves easily around the mouth and down the throat.

Overall - 4.6/5Overall, a great drinking experience. I may be biased due to my love for the tartness of the beer, but since that is part of the intended experience for this beer, I think it is fair to give the beer a high rating for pulling it off well. Definitely a beer I would drink again.

Aroma: orange and spice are prevalent, a touch of aluminium; peach jam

Taste & Mouthfeel: light and bordering on watery with a champagne like effervescence; mostly bready, wheat flavour with hints of spice, orange rind, clove, coriander, white pepper; once the chill dies down, the mouthfeel improves, growing more full, and the flavours become more clear as well

Overall: in the end, a good witbier but can't say it gained much from aging; might want to have this one a bit warmer than you normally would

Nice aromas of wild yeast and orange. Very high carbonation. Mouthfeel is strong but short. Very sour with traces of coriander and citrus. Surprisingly, barrel aging taste is quite absent. No bitterness and very refreshing.